Posts Tagged ‘fish Tanks’

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Cichlids Are The Most Tantalizing Selection For Your Fresh Water Aquarium

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

Having a fish tank in your home or office can add a great deal of beauty and elegance and even enrich our lives. Fresh and salt water tanks are generally the two options available. The fresh water option is much easier to maintain however, the selection of fish and coral is much more limited than the salt water option. But, the fresh water option does offer the diversity of color, shapes and sizes in using Cichlids to populate your tank.

Most people are under the consideration that Cichlids are difficult to handle however, this is not necessarily true if you simply know what you’re doing. Outside of their natural environment, Cichlids are generally very sensitive and maintaining the proper PH levels, as well as, knowing precisely what to feed them is an absolute necessity. Otherwise, they may become very aggressive towards their other tank mates.

It’s the general consensus that Cichlids are difficult to handle however, this is far from the truth if you simply know what you’re doing. Cichlids are generally very sensitive and improper PH levels along with feeding them the wrong foods can make them overly aggressive towards their fellow fish mates. Once you’ve learned what to feed your Cichlids and how often, you will have stress free Cichlids without any effort.

If your into breeding them, you need to find the right resource to make sure you do it right. You will also need to become knowledgeable in how to diagnose, treat and cure the most dangerous fish diseases. These suggestions are just some of the few ideas that you need to consider when starting a Cichlids fish aquarium.

In reference to the South American species, they make up between 250 to 450 known Cichlids and 310 of them are scientifically described. Opposed to the other species, the South American Cichlids can be very adaptable allowing them to exist in a wide array of environments and ecologies. You will find that a great number of them are known to be carnivores. But, there are plenty to choose from who feed primarily plant materials. You can find Cichlids ranging from 2.1 centimeters to the larger ones that can become as large as 58 centimeters.

In reference to African Cichlids, they are known for their beautiful patterns and array of colors that are not typical of other freshwater fish. They are simply fascinating to observe and will amaze you with their very friendly social behavior and the degree of intelligence they possess.

In reference to the adult Jack Dempsey species, they select their mates based a process of chasing one another around the aquarium and lip locking. This is actually a test they perform to determine strength and durability in selecting a potential mate. In your aquarium, it’s best to have pairs of equal size because the males tend to be larger and more aggressive and can therefore do some serious damage to a female that is much smaller.

In summary, if you have chosen to go for the fresh water fish tank then, going with Cichlids fish is your optimum choice. They offer the greater variety of color, shapes and sizes and you will be quick to show them off. So, unleash your creativity and let your fish tank provide years of enjoyment for your home or office.

Whether you’re a long time Cichlid’s enthusiasts or just starting your first fish learn, you will learn great deal from a zealous expert in maintaining and breeding cichlids fish that you will be proud to show everyone.

categories: cichlids fish,tropical fish,home aquariums,fresh water aquariums,fish tanks

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Maintaining and Taking Care of Your Fish Tank

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

Your pet tropical fish are very much like us human, where we need to have a healthy environment to stay in so that we do not contract diseases as well as falling sick often. Understanding how to properly take care of and maintaining your fish tank is imperative to keeping your fishes healthy! Make it a point to clean the tank at least twice a month to make sure you’re giving your pet fish the best possible environment there is to stay in.

Thus, this article will address the few things you need to take care of your fish tank.

The Air Filter

An air filter’s job is as it sound, to filter the waste and debris in the water left by your pet fish. This is completely different from the air pump as an air pump will only be sending water into the air filter, and thus if you have a bigger tank, you do not need to clean the air filter as much as you would be with a smaller tank. This is because with bigger tank there will be more bacteria growing, and more bacteria does not necessarily harm your fish as the variety of bacteria regulates each other’s growth and presence, not to mention that your fish will sometimes feed on them too.

As per previously mentioned, you only need to clean your fish tank twice a month, to make sure it’s in a healthy and livable condition for your fish. There are some who suggests that once a month should actually be more than enough, why is that?

This is because by maintaining the bacterial growth at the bottom of your aquarium are useful for degrading the fish waste, as well as any food waste. This natural cycle can help break down the waste in it’s most natural form, thus cleaning them too often will alter it’s function as well as altering your fish’s habitat often.

That being said, there is no harm in cleaning your fish tank if it gets out of hand and too murky, as the main reason why some of us rare tropical fishes are to enjoy the spectacular view, and thus a dirty aquarium will definitely not be the best sight!

Aside from tropical fish articles, you can also find more of the author’s work on indoor rocking chair and indoor rockers here!

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American Cichlid Tankmates – Finding the Right Tankmates for Cichlids

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Choosing South American Cichlid tank mates is not difficult at all. There are a few things that you need to consider before you make any quick decisions while at your favorite pet store.

The very first thing that you need to think about is the size of your cichlids. You should not pick tankmates that could easily fit in the mouth of your favorite cichlid. That little rule may not work every time, but it is a good start.

Second, choosing tankmates that do not have the same temperament as each other. Juvenile Oscars and Angel Fish are a good example. These two species make great tankmates when they are little. But when those Oscars start to grow, the Angels will loose every battle very quickly.

Now that I have made a few obvious points about choosing South American Cichlid tank mates, let’s get to the point. When I think of South American Cichlid tank mates, I think of catfish. But more specifically I think of the gentle Corydoras. These are absolutely some of my favorite aquarium fish and they make excellent tank buddies for many varieties of Cichlids.

When choosing corys , make sure you consider the size of your Cichlids. If you have a mature Oscar tank, choosing the smaller types of corys is bad idea. Your Oscars will love the snack and vacuum them up like skittles. Choose one of the larger varieties like Corydoras aeneus.

The larger types of corys like the bronze and green varieties, will reach full size at about three inches. So they should make good tankmates for even the larger types of American Cichlids.

But consider this fact when choosing tankmates for cichlids, sometimes Oscars don’t play by the rules. It is best to raise Oscars with corys as tankmates so they get used to having them swim about the bottom of the tank. And make sure that you keep at least five or six corys at a time. They are much happier when they have a few buddies.

See this article for more information about cichlid tank mates. Visit cichlid care to learn how to keep cichlids healthy, colorful and happy.

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What You Must Know About Angelfish

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Freshwater angelfish are generally recognized for their unique shape, as well as their grace and beauty, and are one of the most popular fish found in a fresh water aquarium.

Angelfish are prized for their unique body, color and behavior. Many hobbyists consider angelfish to be a relatively intelligent fish, with the ability to recognize their owners.

Oddly enough, the actually derived their name from the saltwater angelfish species, of which they are not related at all. Freshwater angelfish are originally from the Amazon basin South America. Angelfish are from the cichlid family. Cichlids are general known as an species of fish. Angelfish, however, are generally to overly aggressive but can be territorial during spawning, as are most fish for that matter.

Angelfish are cichlids, although their round bodies and triangular fins are quite different from the majority of cichlids which usually have sleeker shapes. This body design serves angelfish well however, since it permits them to stay hidden among the tall roots and plants that comprise most of their natural habitat . Angelfish are omnivores and do eat live food in the wild. They are ambush hunters in the wild and prey on smaller fish and micro-invertebrates.

Caring for Angelfish Angelfish, because they come from the Amazon Region, survive best in a warm aquarium, preferably about 76-80F. Angelfish have insatiable appetites and thus should be fed only moderate amounts of food several times throughout the day. If overfed they will become lethargic and are more likely to have health problems. When properly cared for angelfish can survive in an aquarium for up to 15 years. Aquarium water for angelfish should be soft and slightly acidic (pH of 7.0 or lower) which mimics the water of the Amazon basin where they originate.

As mentioned earlier, angelfish, although they are cichlids, are generally no overly aggressive. That being said, angelfish are opportunistic and well not pass up a meal of a smaller fish if given the opportunity.

To learn more information about how to successfully Raise Beautiful Angelfish ,visit the next link below and you be will taken a quick video concerning successful Angelfish Breeding.

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Angelfish Facts

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Fish Compatibility There are multiple different opinions concerningthe compatibility of angelfish with other fish. Generally speaking angelfish are compatible with tetras, platies, mollies, loaches, swordtails, plecostomus, danios and gouramis. In addition, the dimension of the aquarium can determine how well your fish get along. A crammed full aquarium will stress fish and cause them to be more hostile.

Everyday Angelfish Diseases One method of preventing sickness in your fish tank is to make certain that you look after your aquarium. Keeping good water quality is essential if you are to keep your angelfish content and healthy. Normal water changes will lessen the probability of any outbreak that may take place in your aquarium. Also, the most universal reason why angelfish expire is due to high levels of ammonia. The reason for high levels of ammonia is due to a jam-packed fish tank or from sporadic water changes. Make regular water changes and your angelfish should be healthy.

Universal diseases in angelfish are fin rot, mouth rot, cotton wool disease, ick, dropsy,worms, hole in the head disease and constipation. Every one are treatable although again the best means to control diseases in to sustain outstanding water quality all the time and minimize stress on your angelfish. You will be rewarded with vibrant, vigorous, happy and beautiful angelfish that live a long time.

Breeding Angelfish Breeding Angelfish is not overly complicated and can be a truly amazing experience. A fish hobbyist’s success in breeding angelfish can depend on numerous factors, including the fish themselves. Many angelfish have been so inbred that they have lost much of their rearing instincts. This often results in parents eating their young.

A typical angelfish spawn can produce anywhere from 400 to 1200 eggs. Fertile eggs will hatch in approximately 6 to 7 days, but the growth of the fry can be watched from about day 3 on. Young fry can eat live brine shrimp once the yolk sack is gone.

There are a number of variables that ought to be well thought-out when trying to breed angelfish not limited to fish tank size, water temperature, water condition, environment and lighting. Successfully breeding angelfish requires the appropriate combination of many factors that mimic an angelfishes normal ecosystem. If you discover yourself somewhat puzzled in how to bring together the needed requirements there are a number of outstanding sources offered to the hobbyist that will give you the essential tools and information to successfully breed angelfish.

Freshwater angelfish make great pets. Want to uncover further great angelfish information ? Visit our website at http://angelfishbreeding.slhost3.com. While your are there feel free to sign up for our free “Angelfish Breeding and Care” email minicourse.

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Angelfish Fry Information

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Angelfish have been bred in captivity for decades. As a consequence most angelfish are well adapted to aquarium life and getting them to successfully spawn is not too complicated. But keeping the fry living, however, is not always easy.

It does no good to have successfully gotten your angelfish to reproduce if you can’t successfully raise the fry. You set up the right conditions as far as water, filtering, lighting and food so that as soon as your fry emerge they have the greatest opportunity for survival.

Your mother angelfish ought to deal with most of the initial rearing of the fry. After your eggs hatch it will take roughly three days for your angelfish fry to fully absorb their yolk sacs. Yolk sacs on angelfish tend to be rather big and will inhibit their ability to swim for the first few days of their life. The mother angelfish habitually works hard during this time to keep the wriggling mass of fry all together into a condensed mass of wriggling fry.

If you have kept your angelfish eggs in a methyl blue bath initially you ought to be changing the water around 50% every day. By the time the fry are free swimming the water ought to be fairly clear. Any white eggs should be siphoned out of the fish tank at this point as they are unfertilized and will not hatch. If left in the tank they can cause unwanted bacterial growth. Carry on the 50% daily water changes to keep the water uncontaminated and curtail bacterial growth.

The general agreement amongst nearly all experts is that live baby brine shrimp is the best food source for your angelfish fry for the fist couple of weeks. Feeding times should be between 4 and 12 times a day. It’s important when feeding your fry to feed moderate amounts. Angelfish generally have insatiable appetites and can easily overeat during feedings. Your fry ought to be full but not overfed in appearance.

Into the eighth day of life the fry are most likely ready to be moved from the grow fish tank into a permanent fish tank. Water changes ought to still be performed and baby brine shrimp ought to still be the foremost food source..

After several weeks of growth, if all has gone well, you may have too many baby angelfish for your fish tank. Also some have grown-up more rapidly than others and may possibly need to be divided based on size. At this point, it may possibly be time to search for an active buyer for a number of of your angelfish family.

Great video showing angelfish fry development

Want to discover additional great Altum Angelfish Tips? Visit our website at http://angelfishbreeding.slhost3.com. While visiting our site you can also sign up for our free “Angelfish Breeding and Care” email mini-course.

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Keeping Altum Angelfish

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

The Latin word for tall is altum, which correctly describes the Altum angelfish, the biggest of the freshwater angelfish variety. Altum angelfish come from from South America, in particular the Rio Orinoco river in Venezuela.

The Altums look is silvery with brownish upright stripes. This helps the Altum keep cover effortlessly between elongated stemmed plants growing in the Amazon river. Altums have a rather unique shaped mouth, which is rather pointed, and their forehead is sharply sloped. The first dark band runs through the eye; the second runs near the mid-section of the body, while the third runs from the tip of the dorsal fin, through the body, and to the tip of the anal fin. The final band runs on the caudal penuncle.

Being a such a sizable angelfish, they require a larger and taller tank. Tanks should be a minimum of 30″ tall and 4 ft long. The fish tank should be ornamented with sizable pieces of bogwood that if possible ought to reach the waters surface. Sizable leafed plants like Amazon swordsplants can also be helpful and are usually left alone.

The water ought to be kept in very soft water that is somewhat acidic. A pH level of 4.5-6.5 is suitable for Altum Angelfish. They favor very warm water and they are best kept in 28-30C / 82-86F. The nitrates levels ought to be kept very low and the water should be somewhat circulated to imitate the surroundings this variety are usually found in the wild. It is extremely essential to sustain high water quality to effectively keep this variety.

Unlike the common angelfish, the Scalare, Altums can be tough to keep and successfully raise in captivity. This is due chiefly to the fact that virtually all Altum sold are wild caught, not domestically farmed. Because of this they can more difficult to find and not a lot of individuals try and keep them.

Because they are wild caught fish, Altums can be challenging to come across at times. And one must be careful of fake Altums being sold. They can be tough to tell apart from Scalares if not well trained.

Altums generally do best by alone, but can be kept with other peaceful species from the matching river region, such a tetras and discus. Being cichlids, Altums can also be quite territorial in temperament. One must use caution when mixing fish with Altums. Even if from the same territory smaller fish will be consumed. They seem uniquely fond of neon and cardinal tetras.

Altums, similar to other angelfish, have an insatiable appetite. Since they are normally caught wild, live food is the favored cuisine. Most will readily accept other foods over time, such as frozen brine shrimp and blood worms.

Despite providing great water conditions and a good diet, Altum angelfish can be tough to raise and even more challenging to breed. Determining the sex can also be exceptionally tricky, as it is with nearly all of the angelfish species.

To discover more great tips on Altum Angelfish Care visit our site at http://angelfishbreeding.slhost3.com and sign up for our free “Angelfish Breeding and Care” email mini-course

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Things To Think About When Buying An Aquarium

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

There are a few things to consider when you are buying tropical fish tanks. First you have to decide if you want saltwater or freshwater fish. Saltwater fish are a little harder to care for and require more to set up the tank. For this reason, freshwater tropical fish are usually recommended for beginners. Saltwater tanks can take weeks to get ready for fish while a freshwater tank can be fish ready within 24 hours.

Another main concern when buying tropical fish tanks is location. Location is almost as important as deciding the type of fish. There are a lot of rules when it comes to placing an aquarium. For example: Aquariums can’t be placed in direct sunlight because that can overheat the water and kill your fish. The tank can’t be placed somewhere that has extreme temperature changes, such as in a unfinished basement or unheated garage.

The perfect location would be somewhere out of the immediate walkway, with a level floor and easy access to an electrical outlet. It also needs to be accessible to you for cleaning and redecorating purposes. The reason you want tropical fish tanks in a slightly out of the way area is because of their size. Even a 20 gallon tank can be quite heavy when filled with water, gravel, plants and fish. Being on a level floor helps keep the weight of the water from putting stress on some seals more than others, preventing leaks. Tropical tanks need an electrical outlet mainly for their heater, but most tanks come with a lighted cover that also needs to be plugged in.

Once you have all the information you can get from your house, its time to go to the store and actually pick your tank. There are a few things to keep in mind when picking out tropical fish tanks at the store too. Your main concerns at the store will be shape, size and material of the aquarium.

First the shape. The longer and wider a tank is the larger the surface area of water, which is how oxygen gets into the water for your fish to breath. The size of your aquarium matters too. The larger a tank is, the easier to care for the fish but keep in mind where you want to put it when you get home. Finally material of the aquarium. Most aquariums are made out of glass or acrylic. Glass is easier to care for and therefore recommended for beginners.

Tropical home aquariums are beautiful and fun to own. These are basic tips for setting up freshwater fish tanks in your home.

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Setting Up A Tropical Fish Tank For Beginners

Monday, January 11th, 2010

This will be a beginners guide to setting up a tropical fish tank. You will need to take your time and make sure not to add fish to the tank right away as this could kill your fish. You must understand that it takes a little time for the water to fully cycle so your fish can live a long time and stay healthy.

Before you go out and start buying aquarium equipment determine what kind of fish that you will want to put in there and how many. This is necessary as you will need to know what size tank to get, if you are on a budget you will have to work with it. The general rule is for small to medium fish is 1 inch per one gallon of water.

The items that you will need to set up a fish tank are the aquarium, filter pump, heat pump. Optional items that you should get also are gravel, thermometer, lamp, decorations, and a back up filter pump in case the main one goes bad.

Once you have all of the necessary items to set up the fish tank find spot in your home where you will be keeping it. Make sure it is not somewhere that is going to be in the way, and that it is not blocking anything you might need to get to later.

Next fill the tank up with water to the top, do not worry about putting any conditioner in the water yet as we are only testing to see if the tank has any leaks. Let the water sit in the tank overnight, and in the morning check around the tank for any signs of water, once you are sure there are no leaks you can empty the tank.

While you are leak testing your aquarium you can start filling up jugs of tap water. Mix the tap water with water conditioner as fish do not like plain tap water. I also add bacteria supplement to the water also. Make sure you follow the directions on the water conditioner bottle exactly.

Next you can start adding gravel, make sure that you rinse the gravel very good. Since the tank is still empty you can start putting in the gravel and decorations. It is very important to make sure that everything that you put into your fish tank is washed well, as it only takes a little bit of dish soap to kill fish.

Start setting up the filter pump and the heating pump. Add the water solution from the jugs that you already pre-mixed, fill the tank up to about an inch from the top. Put the overhead lamp on if you have one and turn on the heater and the filter pump, you now want to be patient and let the water cycle for a week at the minimum.

Let the fish tank cycle the water for at least one week. After that one week you can add a couple of fish to get the tanks ecosystem in action, but do not add anymore fish for at least 5 weeks. Be patient and your fish will be healthy and live for a long time.

The author has been putting together fish tanks of all types for many years and has great knowledge on fish tanks. You can check out his store if you need to purchase a home fish tank. Fish Tanks For Sale

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Things You Should Know About Aquarium Canister Filters

Saturday, October 10th, 2009
by Jeffry Johnston

If you are new to taking care of an aquarium, you have probably heard of the benefits of using a canister filter. This filter has a variety of uses that many aquarium owners prefer using these to hang-on type filters. Although the canister filter has a compact design, it is capable of performing mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration.

Canister filters are usually compared with the conventional “hang on” filters that are placed above the aquarium. Although the canister filter looks quite similar to the latter and may also be hanged on top of the aquarium, the canister filter is preferred due to its improved mechanical filtration device. Thus, this type of filter is usually recommended to those who own fish types that tend to leave a lot of waste material. Another difference of the canister filter from the conventional aquarium filter types is that you can also place them below the aquarium. This is best for you if you would like to get the filters away from the sight of the aquarium viewers. Canister filters may also be placed inside the aquarium. These are then called “submersible filters.”

One of the best advantages of having a canister filter is that it has a larger capacity compared with other filters. Despite the large capacity, it is more compact so you can hide it from view, if you would like to. On the other hand, one of the disadvantages of using canister filters is that they have to be frequently cleaned. This is because the filtration relies on mechanical means. The filtration device will be easily clogged up by the filtered wastes and these have to be removed as soon as possible to prevent the decaying matter to come back into the water.

Because mechanical filtration is the major function of the canister filter, expect that you will have to clean it as often as possible. The filtration mechanism may easily be clogged up with wastes that you will have to take them out frequently. If not, the decaying matter might be circulated back into the water and will endanger the lives of your pets.

Once the water has been freed from the chemicals, it is allowed to pass through the bacteria bed, wherein the bacteria present in the bed change the nitrites into nitrates. This biological filtration is necessary in order to lessen the toxic effects of these chemicals.

Guide to proper choice of canister filters

1. Replacement parts are readily available

When shopping for a canister filter, you have to inquire if the store also carries replacement parts for the filter. Although the filter is durable and is guaranteed to last for a long time, there will be a time that you will have to change the parts of the canister filter as part of maintenance. It is best if you have spare o-rings, impellers, and rubber gaskets. You can?t be sure when you will need to replace them.

2. Fit for the aquarium type

Before you purchase a canister filter, you have to inform the seller on whether you have a freshwater or a saltwater aquarium. There are canister filters that are not appropriate for saltwater and you have to clarify this before you close the sale.

3. Ease of installation and use

At first, an aquarium expert can help you with installing the filters. However, after this, you are on your own. Choose a canister filter that is easy to maintain and replace, even by a non-technical person. There are lots of advantages in getting a canister filter for your aquarium. Just keep these simple tips in mind when getting one so that you maintain the balance in your aquarium?s ecosystem.

About the Author:
Aquarium canister filters are an integral addition to your fish’s ecosystem because they keep the water clean and breathable. That’s one reason they are so great for your aquarium maintenance. Learn more at marinedepot.com

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